Conventionally, there is known a lens guide mechanism using two guide shafts for varying power or focus adjustment, in which a sleeve section formed on each lens frame is engaged with one of the guide shafts with the guide shaft fitting into and passing through the sleeve section and in which a rotation stop section formed on the each lens frame is engaged with the other guide shaft, to slide and guide lens groups in the optical axial direction.
As such a lens guide mechanism, there is a mechanism in which two fitting hole sections where one guide shaft passes through are arranged at a predetermined distance on each lens frame, and one of the fitting hole sections of one of the lens frames is arranged in the gap of the fitting hole sections of the other lens frame so as to be located between the fitting hole sections of the other lens frame. Thus, the span of the guide portion is increased, and the respective lens frames are moved smoothly (for example, refer to the Patent Document Japanese Patent Application H08-5888).
However, in the guide mechanism disclosed in the aforementioned Patent Document, the fitting hole sections of one lens frame are arranged at the both sides of one guide-shaft passing portion of the other lens frame in the gap of the fitting hole sections. It causes a problem that the span of the guide portion is restricted due to the difference in the movement distance between the two lens groups.
Further, the diameter of each fitting hole section has a clearance for the diameter of each guide shaft for movement of the lens frames. Therefore, when the span of the guide portion is short, the lens frames are shifted or tilted by the clearance in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis and it causes a problem that an image is blurred at time of zooming.